you can imagine that this isn't what i wanted to see as the first major event that's happened in my new neighbourhood. this kid lived down the street. i saw her frequently. we never spoke, but we made a lot of eye contact; she often tossed a smile my way as she drove her bicycle by, as i was sitting on the curb having a cigarette.

at that age? it's wise not to draw conclusions until some evidence surfaces. thanksgiving is an excellent day to disappear for a few weeks. if you see what i mean. comments online suggest her facebook profile has been disabled, which i'd have to think implies a desire to not be found. or at least not for a little while, anyways.

the word on the street here is considerably more alarmist. according to one lady, who felt the need to go door-to-door and warn every single female in the neighbourhood, there's a gang of rapists on the loose and we should all be sure not to go out after dark. i wasn't able to verify that information online, but i'm aware of rape statistics, too. it's certainly unnerving, that's for sure. and maybe i've decided to stay in tonight, just to be safe. but i wonder if there was a racial component to her warning. i think i may have picked one up in her body language. and i wonder if that relegates it to a fear of the other.

that's not to say there's not cause for concern, or even cause for alarmism. this whole moving 800 km from home thing just got a little bit real.

first things first: i hope the kid is ok.

http://windsorite.ca/2013/10/windsor-police-looking-for-missing-teenage-girl/

they're ruling victoria's death a suicide, but it doesn't seem to add up well.